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Jan said...
@Serge Truth "Christianity is not just a religion, it is a way of life. Take it away and you get people turning to drugs and sex to give their life meaning."
Hi Serge!
I don't think Christianity isn't the only valid way of life. (and it certainly isn't the only religion)
I'm an agnostic and don't do drugs. The sex is nice but doesn't harm anyone. I work for a living.
What gives meaning to my life is learning how to be self-reliant, trying to make the world a better place and helping other people.
Not everybody needs to be afraid to go to hell to be kind to others.
@FerFAL "you end up with 50% of the population working and paying taxes to sustain the other 50% that spend all day skateboarding and actually working at screwing the interviews they go to so as to keep collecting unemployment"
I agree that this is a big problem in Spain. But Spain is one of the more catholic countries in Europe and yet the other EU countries aren't worse.
Systems can be abused and should be adjusted to eliminate blatant abuse. That this situation is tolerated suggests neglect from those in power. Politicians don't like to take unpopular decisions, but when the money runs out they will have to. Economic reality is catching up with them in 3... 2... 1...
Cheers,
Jan
June 21, 2010 3:30 AM
First of all, let me say again what I’ve said before, but apparently some people aren’t getting it: I’m not saying Catholicism and Christianity are the only acceptable forms of lifestyle or religion, what I’m saying is that Christianity and specially Catholicism, their values and the idea of a Christian family, are currently under attack. Mocked, ridiculed and even said that its just a fantasy that never existed in the first place because under the happy family picture dad is really gay, mom is a cocaine addict and the Goth kids sleep with each other.
The problem is that the silly mass seems to believe that things just happen on their own, that as if by magic they are going to have a perfect family and when they don’t they look all surprised. No family IS perfect, you MAKE it that way with commitment, self sacrifice and discipline and a lot of love. The love part is much easier said than done, and in today’s world where people believe sex and love are the same thing they don’t even get that part, let alone sacrifice and self discipline.
All of these things, you will be hard pressed finding in a place like Spain. Spain USED to be a very Catholic country, but you go that wrong, its not any more.
The last couple times I went there, I saw its getting worse. During religious ceremonies you only see a handful of very old people (the old conservative catholic type Spain) and almost no young folks.
Today in Spain, its all gay pride parades, cheap philosophical discussions on TV talk-shows as of why you’re pretty much an intellectual if you do drugs, and 40 year old teenagers sewing their parents because they’ve got tired of them not having a job (ever) and wanting to kick them out of the house. The parents are of course the bad guys, because a 40 year old slob is supposed to stay in his room all day playing videogames.
Its no coincidence and its been an ongoing process since the socialists took power.
Approved by the European Council in 2002, and enforced by decree 1631/2006, public schools in Spain now teach something called “Education for the Citizen” (Educacion para la Ciudadania). Supposedly to promote a “Free, fair and tolerant” society. Truth is, this class promotes promiscuity at a pre-teen age, homosexuality as a choice, the practice of masturbation in classes with children as young as ten years old, and intolerance against Catholicism. Think this is crazy? It gets even better (or worse): These mandatory classes, in public schools, not only teach ten year olds how to masturbate, they even have Sex Shops from Madrid as special guests to introduce the children to various “sex toys” for them to use. Recommended reading by the Ministry of Education in Spain? “Ali Baba and the 40 Fags”(Ali Baba y los 40 Maricones) I’m not making any of this up, you can google it all up though most of it is in Spanish of course. According to the Ministry of Education’s website itself, it’s a “fun comic of the adventures of the daily life that occur in an apartment building in today’s Barcelona, mostly inhabited by gays”.
How about the austerity during tough economic times? The Ministry of Equality spends over €800.000 to research various masturbation techniques to teach to the kids, including a “Clitoris map” that cost taxpayers € 26.000. The Church is of course against all this but does not have enough strength to change anything. Catholic Spain? Maybe 50 years ago, but not any more.
My parents have been living over there since 2002, and my mother in particular used to find all the liberal BS funny. I never did. I didn’t like the socialist liberal combination one bit and I saw it as a recipe for a weak society and poor family values.
When a family fails, sometimes catastrophically with a kid killing himself or others, what happens? They blame the gun, an inanimate object. That would be like blaming the printer for a bad novel. They blame the TV with all the violence, or even better videogames. I’ve watched all of the Friday 13 and Freddy Kruger movies by the time I was 6. Sure I had nightmares but I didn’t blow up my school. My son played Grand Theft Auto since he was like four, he watched 300 with me on TV, curiously enough he’s a lovable little seven year old. Bloody movies, videogames, and guns. Oh, I’ve took him to the shooting range too, by the way. According to the media experts he should be a freak of nature. But he’s not, because he has a close, loving family, a solid emotional foundation. Instead of blaming guns, TV and videogames, why don’t these people look at themselves in the mirror? That’s where the problem really is.
When mom and dad use their jobs, shopping or the gym or any other excuse they can think of so as to be home the least amount of time possible, that’s where the problem lies. Going out for dinner with friends every free night instead of being home, because they can’t stand their own children, that’s the real problem. But its easier to blame inanimate objects, games and movies which kids already identify as a fantasy at an early age anyway, its better to do that than to take responsibility for their actions.
I’ve been thinking a lot about all this since yesterday, why its something that I believe in so much and why did I write about it here. Religious issues? Yes, I’m Catholic, but I’m not the type that goes to Church every Sunday, not by a long shot. I do respect the Church, and yes I’d ask a priest if I ever need advice from someone other than my family. I’ve done it before with excellent results. Not because a priest is a booth between you and God like the anti Catholics promote, but because they are basically well educated people, with similar beliefs and most of all with a lot of experience in helping people with problems of all kinds.
But why here, why in a place where we talk about survivalism? Because these are all emotional weaknesses, and having an adamant will is the core to a proper survival mindset, not only for emergencies and disasters but for life in general.
The lax Spaniard society, the “everything goes”, self centered and self pleasing people I saw ( with a few exceptions as always) is a very poor reflection of what it once was. My grandparents were hard working, sacrificed people with a backbone, not the metrosexual wimps you see today. You see them at the sales in clothes shops after Christmas and man, its hard to tell the men from the women, they are starting to dress alike. Maybe it’s the thirty years of South American machismo view of what a man and women should be, but the women there are more masculine than many of the guys and the guys are far too feminine, even the ones that aren’t gay.
Are these people ready for what’s coming, for what’s already happening over there? No they are not. Even my mother, who couldn’t be considered a prepper or survivalist in any way, told me yesterday “People here aren’t ready for what’s coming. They don’t understand and they are not used to it like people are in Argentina”. Its not that Argentines are better than Spaniards, but people in Spain are so damn spoiled, I completely understood what she was saying.
Sorry for the rant, I just wanted to say this before moving on to something else. When I talk about mindset, a lot of what I mean has to do with this. You certainly don’t have the right mindset if someone’s greatest concern in life, specially a guy’s, if combining the right Manolo shoes with his tight trendy pants, or when its socially accepted that a twenty something year old guy spends all day smoking pot with friends. That’s not the right mindset, not at all.
FerFAL
10 comments:
Great post. Let us be all that we can be, so that we may set an example for others.
If Christians keep quiet, it is no surprise that the youth believe the lies. If all they see is selfishness, greed, and lust, it's not surprising that they follow suit. We have to show them that Christianity is enjoyable, leads to success and better life, ultimately leads to happiness and profound Spiritual experiences, that can never be attained by drugs or sex. In a world where so many people have given in to temptation and have become unfit for survival this a job that fits us perfectly.
The people who attack Christianity are not really survivalists, because their selfishness and pride will prevent them from living in peace with their neighbors. Not only is it impossible to survive in isolation, such a life is not even worth living.
"Hi Serge!
I don't think Christianity isn't the only valid way of life. (and it certainly isn't the only religion)
I'm an agnostic and don't do drugs. The sex is nice but doesn't harm anyone. I work for a living.
What gives meaning to my life is learning how to be self-reliant, trying to make the world a better place and helping other people.
Not everybody needs to be afraid to go to hell to be kind to others."
A healthy man does not need a doctor. Christ came to save the sinners, not the righteous. There are definitely people that turn to hedonism, drugs, and crime in the absence of a guide. A small amount of such people can corrupt a large amount of people that are agnostic. Even on their own they can cause tremendous damage, especially since they readily form organizations of their own. These criminal organizations are very difficult to destroy once they are formed and they cost dearly to the entire society.
Many such people are rebelling against a society that they feel is purposeless. Many of them would not take this road if they believe in Heaven and hell, and had a great personal example to look up to. You have not set an example worthy of following, and you are simply prey to these people who see you as a pointless piece of a pointless world, there for the taking to indulge their dissatisfaction with society as a whole and their place in it specifically. This is the world without Christ, this is what you are preparing to survive.
Not all of these criminals are street level. Many of them survive long enough to get into the military, law enforcement, politics, big business. These are the people that robbed Argentina and countless other third world countries. These are the people that are robbing USA today.
1) Look, there is no way to support the highly populated countries we have today without a government. End of story. The question is: what kind of government. I myself favor one which protects the property rights of the wealthy, but ensures the middle class are rewarded for their hard work and which takes care of the poor, the sick and the elderly.
2) Because of the massive propaganda machine of Fox News -- run by Billionaire Rupert Murdoch for the benefit of fellow billionaires -- people somehow have the idea that the USA is about to be consumed by socialism.
But the FACTS say otherwise.
3) The richest 2 percent of the US population received 10 percent of the national income in 1980 when Ronald Reagan took office. Today, that share is over 23 percent -- and the trend has been ever upward. Argentina, Mexico, and the USA have the most inequitable distributions of income in the world.
4) That is NOT the result of some mythical free market -- it is the result of politcal favors bought and sold. The only free market we have in the USA is in Congressional favors. BOTH the Republicans and the Democrats receive almost $2 Billion in campaign donations each election.
5) Do you really think you are being screwed by gays "looking for the right shoes to go with their tight pants" or by the pot smokers? Was that who gave Goldman Sachs Executives $16 Billion in bonuses from the US TReasury to divide up while 8 million more Americans were thrown out of work last year and 1.35 Million had to declare bankruptcy.
6) The leftists are just as angry over Democratic corruption as they are over the Republican corruption of the Bush administration. That is why leftists like Jane Hamsher have joined with conservative Grover Norquist to fight Washington corruption.
7) But at least a corrupt politican needs your vote. The Superrich need nothing but for you to die quietly. That is why the USA incarcerates its citizens at 4 times the rate of even totalitarian China.
1) PS Public welfare is small change compared to the special targeted tax breaks, pork barrel spending directed at favored corporations, and special business regulations that are bought and sold in Washington every day.
2) That is why the $3 Trillion War to grab Iraq for Big Oil was paid for by stealing the money from your Social Security and Medicare accounts.
You paid money into those accounts for decades. They now have "assets" consisting of US Treasury bonds. Guess WHO is on the hook to pay those bonds off?
This creeping secularism has a long history. France used to be the Daughter of the Church, but near the turn of the century (early 1900s), the French government mounted an attack on Christianity. Or more specifically, on the Church. Pope St. Pius and his contemporaries called it the decatholization of France.
Mush of what they did then, "they" are now doing in the US - trying to chase religion from the public square. I think it important for us to stand firm (and that means all of our Christian and non-Christian brothers and sisters) if we want our nation to remain.
@Don, while I probably disagree with your politics, much of what you say is true. However, we ARE in danger from socialism - a look at recent history (50-70 years) shows this quite easily. Please stop with the baseless Fox attacks - they are much more balanced than much of the other media - they tell our side on occasion.
However, I am not a fan of crony capitalism either! I doubt many of us are. Tea partiers in general are very much against it too.
Grab Iraq for Oil? The facts don't support it whatsoever. Perhaps since it is something not germane to FerFAL's blog, this specific could be dropped rather than argued back and forth to no avail. Govt corruption is VERY important to the blog's concerns, from what I can tell.
I understand and largely agree with your complaints about society, but I disagree that lack of Christianity has anything to do with it. Go any popular church in the US and you'll find the same problems: parents too self-absorbed and busy to properly raise their children, people looking to blame their flaws on everyone but themselves, a distinct lack of personal responsibility, etc. We've got very popular TV evangelists in the US like Joel Osteen telling people how to pray for more money and otherwise emphasizing material wealth over God and family. The most religious and conversative states in the US are the ones with the highest divorce rates.
No, the problem is the rise of consumerism. The media, advertisers, and society in general have been brainwashing people for the last few decades to acquire more money, more junk, and maintaining the perfect image at the expense of family, dignity, and personal responsibility. Putting in 60+ hour work weeks for the extra cash is more important than spending time with the kids because it will allow you to buy the nicest car in the neighborhood and that's what's important in life. Can't afford that $5,000 Louis Vuitton purse? Just put it on the credit card and forget about--God forbid anyone thinks I can't afford it. The expert on TV tells me I should buy a sex toy for my daughter, and I should listen to him because I don't want people to think I'm old-fashioned.
It always come down to money.
Hi Ferfal
It's interesting that you mention the lack of masculinity in Spain as well as the near demise of Catholicism. The two go hand in glove.
You don't find young men in a church that has a lukewarm priest, who is more interested in community than in serving God. The music is so often representative of hippie garbage from the 70's rather than the great Gregorian chant. If you want to find churches full of people, try to find a traditional Latin (not Latino...Latin) Mass in your area. My wife has some friends in B.A. who may be able to assist if it's something you're interested in following up on.
The new crop of priests here in the States are manly men who are not afraid of preaching Jesus Christ, and I hope you can find a good one when you move here.
Concepts like personal responsibility and peace between neighbors are essential for survivalist minded people. I do not think that only Christians have these values, and I think that there are many who call themselves Christian that aren't.
I do think it is evident that Christianity has been a force for morality and a cohesive family in the USA for a long time. Both of these have fallen dramatically with the sexual revolution, the drug revolution, and the removal of anything religious from the public sphere. In fact, many "Christian" churches helped to bring this about by being unfaithful to their beliefs.
Not all Christians are good. Not all non-Christians are bad. What matters for surviving is that we have values that promote a healthy mental attitude and cultivate healthy relationships in our families and the communities in which we live. Christianity has long been the force that provided these things, and many of us find it very sad that Christianity is often portrayed as some type of fringe belief, despite most people categorizing themselves as such.
But, what it comes down to is staying sane in a world where we see so much wrong (and prepare for it to happen to us!). Christianity provides that for myself, FerFAL, and many others. Other things provide sanity and mental health for other people. All that I ask is it not be you or your kids that do any of the egregious things all of us see so often, or be the ones that teach Christianity is evil.
This is an interesting article on the subject patriarchy, which I think is relevant to the discussion.
http://www.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2006/the_return_of_patriarchy
FerFal, quit posting so much, I can't keep up with it all! :P I am reading Two Years Before the Mast right now. I have to tell you, the things those guys did without even thinking about it! Today we'd have OSHA all over our backs, senators talking about the downtrodden, the whole nine yards. I don't advocate stupidity in working conditions, (Which is why I object to OSHA) but those guys were real! I wonder sometimes if life has just gotten too tiresome in its mundanity, so some players of video games do so to try and recover some semblance of courage or accomplishment.
Despite I'm Spanish and I've noticed how our society has been slowly getting worse and worse each passing minute, I have to admit that reading it in another language in a blog run by a guy from the other side of the world, summarizing it for everyone has really shocked me.
I knew of all this, but when you see it all put together instead of swallowing it on newspapers one bit of a time... it really sucks!
However I'm not sure about lack of christianity being to blame for all this, I know of other countries which are even less religious than we are in general terms and they manage to have an ethical, healthy society. I'm not sure of the correlation between empty churches and malls full of sissies.
Mario
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